1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to presence detection, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for remotely detecting a person's presence without requiring physical input by the person.
2. Background Art
Computing systems have grown in complexity, and thus in power consumption. Indeed, many electronic devices are remarkably more sophisticated than their counterparts from a decade ago, or even several years ago. As devices offer additional functionality, users have come to expect even more enhancements.
Generally speaking, such enhancements come at a price. First, power requirements for electronics may increase with complexity and function. Second, the increasing sophistication of consumer electronics may cause many potential purchasers to avoid too-complex products, fearing such products will prove difficult to use. Third, with increase in complexity and sophistication of electronic products comes an increased premium in the space available to incorporate additional features and designs. Space within a product may be extremely limited, and thus valuable.
Further, many electronic products operate on battery power. Enhancing the battery life may prove useful and desirable to consumers, as the product will more likely be available when the consumer desires its use. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method for improving battery life of an electronic product.
Improved operating experiences with electronic products may minimize a consumer's fear of a product's complexity. Enhanced user interfaces are one example of how to improve an operating experience. Yet another is personalization of a product, as is implementing a manner for a product to recognize a user's presence. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for recognizing a user's presence and accustoming the user to the activation of the product.
Additionally, the function of aesthetics in a purchaser's decision to choose one product over another should not be underestimated. Many consumers, when faced with two virtually identical products, will choose the “prettier” or better-looking product. Many consumers find smooth, uniform surfaces particularly attractive, especially in electronic products. With the proliferation of remote controls, windows or ports must be placed in products to receive a signal from the remote control. Similarly, many products (such as televisions, computer monitors, and even some remote controls) automatically adjust their brightness to account for a level of ambient light. Light sensors are required for such activities, and in turn require yet another port or opening in the surface of the electronic product. The inclusion of too many of these ports may detract from the overall look of the product, thus swaying a potential purchaser to buy a different, competing product. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus that may combine the functions of several sensors in a single element.
That the present invention satisfies these needs will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure.